Lecture # 1 Overview of Interior Plantscaping
What Do Interiorscapers Do? They promote health and extended keeping quality of ornamental plants under interior conditions.
The Need For Plants! Interior plantscaping started as part of the back-to to-earth, back-to to-nature, back-to to-senses movement of the 1970 s.! Interior plants are an integral part of contemporary design in our homes, offices, and other buildings.
The Green Revolution! Plants fill a psychological need.! Plants enhance our environment.! Plants are a satisfying hobby.
The Purpose of the Indoor Plant Use Function Emotional and symbolic Sensual " Maintain a person s contact with nature. " Mentally and emotionally carry a person to an naturalistic environment. " Mood delineators. " Sounds, odors, feelings stimulated, enhanced, gratified.
Use Function Architectural " Provide privacy. " Screening of unpleasant views. " Provide new vistas. " Define space.
Use Function Engineering Aesthetic " Control traffic. " Glare reduction. " Acoustical control. " Background. " Sculpture. " Line calligraphy. " Softening architecture. " Frame views.
Plants in a shopping mall create a restful area, divide space, and enhance the vista. Properly placed plants eliminate the long, tunnel effect of the main corridor of the mall.
A planter in a corner adds elegance and a restful feeling to the office. Plant color and form harmonize with office décor.
Plantings appear differently depending on the viewpoint.
Simple designs and simple solutions to problems are usually best. One plant in a simple container conveys many moods in this office building.
A better and more pleasing interior environment because plants are tastefully and simply used.
Architectural Uses of Plants Divide space Privacy
Architectural Uses of Plants Screening unwanted views Partial screening
Engineering Uses of Plants Control glare
Engineering Uses of Plants Control traffic
Aesthetic Uses of Plants Line- calligraphy Sculpture Decorative wall Soften architectural elements
Aesthetic Uses of Plants Background Control view - gradual revealing of vista Pattern, silhouette
Formal Types of design Straight lines Square or rectangular forms A formal plant shape Same elements on both sides of the axis Balance due to same elements on each side of axis Philosophy: people dominate nature.
Informal or naturalistic Types of design Curved lines Soft, round forms Natural plant shape Different elements on each side of the axis Balance due to sum of attraction on each side of axis Philosophy: people are part of nature.
Organizing Space With Plants
1. Potted plants in close array against a wall create a living picture. 2. Massed foliage gives an empty fireplace an elegant look. 3. Small plants on shelves under fluorescent lights.
4. Planter boxes on casters arranged to divide a long room or create an entrance. 5. In a room short of wall space, a central island garden provides a background for furnishings. 6. A long, narrow room will look shorter with a low floor planter across one end.
7. A large single plant in a corner becomes a focal point. 8. A hanging plant above a standing plant extends the line of greenery. 9. A three-tiered tiered structure supports a multilevel garden of large and small plants.
10. A glass-topped table makes a living piece of furniture. 11. A bottle garden can be displayed as a sculpture. 12. Uplighting from floor floodlights emphasizes foliage patterns and creates dramatic shadows.
Examples of Organizing Space With Plants
Multiple effects with the same planter - different plants
Plant Involvement Emotionally involved w/ plants, believes plants have personalities. Behavioral Characteristics Loves to take care of plants- has many plants - sizes and states of health. Would rather propagate plants and nurture back to health than buy large specimens. Purchases many plants, often on impulse with little regard to price.
Plant Involvement Emotionally involved w/ plants, uses and keeps them for their decorative effect. Plants used to project image of being in vogue. Behavioral Characteristics Invests in many plants,buys large specimens - very conscious of quality. Swayed by the unique - seldom buys on impulse; very much price conscious.
Plant Involvement Not emotionally involved w/ plants, but considers plants as living individuals with personalities. Behavioral Characteristics Has a few plants, usually gifts. Wants to keep plants healthy. Seldom buys plants, but when purchases small sizes.
Plant Involvement Not emotionally involved w/ plants, has them only as decoration. Behavioral Characteristics Purchases a few large plants, often at a low price, but plants must have high quality. Considers care for plants definitely a chore.
The Value of Foliage Plants! The boom in foliage plants began in the early 1970s.! Between 1971 and 1994 a nearly 1300% increase in the wholesale value of foliage plants has occurred.! Since 1992 the wholesale value of foliage plants has steadied at 15-16% 16% of the total value of all floricultural crops.! Florida is #1 - foliage plant production.
Choices. Decisions. Quality. Communication.! Growers, shippers, wholesalers, retailers, consumers make choices and decisions every day that affect keeping quality of foliage plants.! Each category must use/follow the best techniques to produce and maintain high quality plants.! The success of an indoor planting depends on good selection, production techniques sensitive to interior needs and delivery of undamaged material.
The Four Phases of a Foliage Plant! Production Phase. Growers, includes tissue culture laboratories, plant propagators and plant finishers.! Postproduction Phase.. Shippers and wholesalers.! Retail Handling Phase.. Interior plantscapers, florists, garden centers and mass market distributors.! Consumer Care Phase.. Consumer or a plant maintenance company.
Production Phase! Goal: Propagation and growth of the plant to a finished, salable condition.! Factors: Light Temperature Nutrition Water Media Disease or pest problems Cultural disorders
Postproduction Phase! Goal: Deliver plants with minimum quality deterioration.! Factors: Storage light Storage temperature Exposure to gases Care and grooming
Retail Handling Phase! Goal: Preservation of quality until sale to consumer or installation into a permanent location.! Factors: Light Temperature Water Disorders
Consumer Care Phase! Goal: Successful matching of plant requirements with the environmental conditions of a space.! Factors: Temperature Locations Water Grooming Disorders Cultivars
The Goal To create a harmonious and aesthetically pleasing interiorscape which will perform satisfactorily with respect to plant longevity, plant quality, and plant care.
The Outdoor Look - Indoors
An Upscale Eatery
The Future! Quality is essential: plants that tolerate less water, low light, and lower temperatures of building interiors, and resist pests.! The industry is dominated by several large enterprises: Rentokil, Inc. Tropical Plant Services Plantscaping by Orkin TruGreen - Chemlawn Service - Master Foliage Design Systems
The Future! Small firms continue to have an important place in the interior landscape industry.! Government regulations will become more restrictive.! The foliage plant industry promotes the product on an industry-wide basis and educates the public on the importance of plants to daily life.
Same Principles Apply to Use of Large or Small Plants/Plantings Placement Architectural Elements Vista Enhancement
Focal point
Texture and Framing
Shape and Size
Shape, Size, Texture and Color
Multiple Color
Form and Color
Silhouettes and Patterns Multiple Views
Linear Elements
The Indoor Plant Boom Having lived through eons with nature, organisms including man are genetically programmed to biological rhythms paced by sun, moon, and seasons. E. Stainbrook,University of Southern California School of Medicine
The Indoor Plant Boom Hence, we are often out of phase with modern situations - with artificial lighting, central heating and air conditioning, with work organizations and other social institutions structuring wakeful activity around the clock, with distressingly high and insistent daily input of complex information demanding sleep- disturbing attempts at mastery, with rapid travel through time zones. E. Stainbrook,University of Southern California School of Medicine
The Indoor Plant Boom Fatigue and inefficiency - and perhaps more subtle impairments of adaptation and biological responsiveness - may be the price we pay for the disharmony between the body s innate rhythms and the artificial surroundings and demands that press upon us. E. Stainbrook,University of Southern California School of Medicine